Curtain position-retaining means



May 14, 1968 J. R. MICHEAU 3,382,507

CURTAIN POSITION-RETAINING MEANS Filed Oct. 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JAMES R, MICHEAU ATTORNEYS May 14, 1968 .1. R. MICHEAU CURTAIN POSITION-RETAINING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1965 FIG?) FIGZ INVENTOR JAMES R. MICHEAU Mam ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,382,507 Patented May 14, 1968 1 3,382,507 CURTAIN POSITION-RETAINING MEANS James R. Micheau, 19264 Redfern, Detroit, Mich. 48219 Filed Oct. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 494,161 4 Claims. (Cl. 4-149) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to shower curtains and the like and more particularly to a device for securing the lower edge "of the curtain to a bathtub while at the same time providing means tending to maintain the shower curtain in a substantially vertical plane.

7 Background of the invention Shower curtains are commonly provided for bathrooms and the like to provide an enclosed space which permits the bathtub to be utilized for taking a shower. To prevent water from splashing from the tub, the shower curtains are usually positioned with their lower edge within the tub. During the course of taking a shower the heated air will rise within the enclosed space and escape over the top of the curtains and cause them to billow inwardly. In addition to the annoyance caused by such inwardly billowing of the curtain, this sometimes causes the lower edge of the curtain to rise above the tub or to move sufliciently away from the side of the tub to permit water to be splattered outside of the enclosure.

Attempts have been heretofore made to solve this problem and such attempts have generally taken the form of providing weights or magnets sewn into or fixed to the lower edge of the curtain. While these have generally been effective in preventing water from escaping from the enclosure between the lower edge of the curtain and the bathtub, they do not substantially diminish the billowing effect of the curtain so that the annoyance produced by this is still a problem. Further such means require that the curtains themselves be provided with weights or magnets adding unduly to the cost of manufacturing such items and requiring that either new magnets or weights be purchased when it is time to replace the shower curtain or that the magnets or weights be removed from the old shower curtains to be sewn into or to be aflixed to the new curtains.

The present invention provides a position-retaining means for shower curtains and the like comprising a stiff ribbon like brace provided at one end with means for receiving the hooks or rings which are used to mount the'eurtains to the shower rod and at the opposite end with means for urging the shower curtain against the interior surface of the bathtub, It is contemplated that a plurality of such braces would be used and these would be spaced along the length of the curtain when it is extended to substantially eliminate the tendency of the curtain to billow into the enclosure as the shower is being used. The means for urging the shower curtain against the interior surface of the bathtub comprises a magnet member affixed to the other end of the brace to be attracted to and attached to the metallic bathtub with the lower edge of the shower curtain disposed therebetween so that in addition to providing a bracing effect for the shower curtain. The position-retaining means of the present invention also produces an effective seal which reduces the possibility of water escaping between the outer surface of the curtain and the inner surface of the bathtub.

It is an object then of the present invention to maintain shower curtains and the like in place while the shower is being used by providing a plurality of position- 7 retaining members each comprising a stiffening ribbonlike member adapted to be attached to the hooks or rings mounting the shower curtain in place and to extend on the inner side of the curtain to a position below the level of the bathtub and having at the lower end means for urging the curtain against the interior surface of the tub.

It is another object of the present invention to reduce the cost and the inconvenience of providing position-retaining means for shower curtains and the like by providing magnetic holding means for such curtains which are carried by and which are readily removable from the hooks or rings ordinarily used to mount the curtains in place.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for preventing the splashing of water between the inner surface of a bathtub and the outer surface of the shower curtain by providing a magnetic means for urging the lower portion of the shower curtain against the inner surface of the tub.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will readily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following description. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating the invention in use.

FIG. 2 is an elevational back view of one of the position retaining members of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the position retaining member illustrated in FIG. 2 and as seen substantially from line 33 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional View of a preferred modification of the position retaining members of the present invention.

Description Now referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the present invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of the position-retaining members of the present invention in use. A typical construction for a shower bath stall or space is illustrated in FIG. 1 as comprising a tub 10 enclosed by end walls 12, a side wall 14, and a shower curtain 16. As is conventional, the shower curtain 16 is mounted to a rod 18 by a plurality of rings or hooks 20 which permit the shower curtain to be moved along the rod 18 from an open position providing access to the tub 10 to the closed position illustrated. Water is showered or sprayed into the confined space by a nozzle 22 which may be mounted to one of the end walls 12 as illustrated. The rod 18 can be fixed at each end to the end walls 12 by a suitable fixture 24 only one of which is shown in FIG. 1. As can best be seen in FIG. 3, the rings or hooks 20 are of a conventional construction providing for a removal of the curtain 16 from the rod 18 in any conventional manner such as by having an upwardly bent lower portion 26, the upper end of which is received by a clasp portion 28. The lower portion 26 flexes inwardly to permit the curtain 16 to be removed between the end 26 and the clasp 28 of the ring member 20.

Again as can best be seen in FIG. 1, elongated positioning-retaining members 30 are mounted to several of the rings or hooks 20 in the same manner and to the same hooks or rings 20 mounting the curtain 16 to the rod 18. The position-retaining members 30 hang vertically downwardly on the inside of the shower curtain 16 and preferably terminate adjacent above the lower edge of the curtain 16. The number of the positioning-retaining members 30 utilized can vary but the particular rings 20 to be utilized for also carrying the members 30 are selected to provide a substantially equal spacing between the members as shown. p

Each of the position-retaining members 30 preferably comprises anelongated brace .32 constructed of plastic or other similar material. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper end of the brace 32 is provided with a central aperture 34 for receivingthe ring 20 and a magnet ,36 is carried near the lower end byany convenient means such as the rivets 38' illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 or if preferred the magnet 36 can be secured tothe brace 32 by a suitable adhesive such as the epoxies now cornmonly available. Also if preferred, the magnet 36 can be encapsulated as illustrated in FIG.4 in a layer of plastic or other similar material40. I

, As canbest be seen in FIG. 3, the members 32 extend from a position near the shower rod18 to a position adjacent the lower edge of the shower curtain 16. When the showercurtain 16 is extended to enclose the shower space, the curtain16 is positioned on the inside of the tub 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The position-retaining member30 is positioned, interiorly of the curtain 16 and the tub 10 with jthe magnet 36 facing the curtain 16. The tub 10, as is conventional, is constructed of a magnetic material, that is, a material which is attracted by amagnet, and therefore the lower end of the brace 32 will be urged against the tub 14 by the magnet 36 and the curtain16 will be fixed therebetweem By providinga. plurality of such members30 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the

dinarily tends to urge thecurtain16into the enclosure to cause annoyance to the person taking ashower and also tending [to move the curtain up along the inner wall of thetub110 which may cause Water to 'escapepast the lower edge of the curtain 16.

It is apparent that when the curtain 16 is moved to ,theretracted or open position the members 30 will be moved along the "rod 18 to permit the curtain 16 to be opened; It is also apparent that a curtain position-retaining means has been disclosed which in addition to re taining the lower edge of the curtain against the inner wall of the bathtub, also prevents the curtain from billowinginto the tub. ,Previous position-retaining means for shower curtains have not produced this result. The positioning-retaining members of the present invention can be readily removed and utilized with new curtains whenit is time to replace old or worn shower curtains. i

It is further apparent that although I have described but one embodiment of ,my invention many changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from I claim:

I l 1. device for retaining shower curtains in a closed position about a bathtub or the like comprising v heated by the hot shower water and rises to cause; a partial vacuumwithin the enclosure. This partial vacuum orl the Spirit the inventionias p y the SCOPE" of, ppended claims. p I

(a) an elongatedflat brace member having means at one end adapted for connection with means supporting the upper edge of the shower curtain,

, 30when the shower curtain 16 is in theextended position I (b) said brace member extending substantiallyfvertically and having a lower end adapted tobe disposed within said bathtub adjacent the side wall thereof; (0) a magnet member fixed to said lower end of said brace member in a position to urge said shower curtain, against said side wall of said bathtub, and

(d) said brace member being disconnected from said curtain except through the common support provided at the upper end and through the connection provided at the lower end by the attraction of said'magnet member and said bathtub, and said brace member being constructed of a flexibleyet non-elastic material with one of its elongated flat surfaces in engagementwith said curtain whereby to restrain said curtain from billowing inwardly with respect to the bathtub.

2., The device as defined in claim 1 and in which said magnet member is fixed to the lower end of said brace member by a plurality of rivets.

, 3. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which said tub, a plurality of members for retaining the curtain in a closed position V (a) each of said members comprising an elongated brace member provided with an opening, at one end for removable attachment with one of said rings,

(b) each of said members hanging downwardly from said rings andhaving a lower end adapted to extend into said bathtub adjacent the side wall thereof with the lower edge of said curtain disposed intermediate the lowertend s of said members and said side wall of said bathtub, (c) each of said brace members'havinga magnet member fixed to its lower end in a position to attach the lower end of said curtain to said" bathtub intermediate said magnets and said sidewall of said bathtub, and

'(d) said brace members being attached to said curtain only by the common support afforded by said ring members at the upper end and by said magnets at the lower end and said" brace members being constructed of a flexible, non-elastic material to act as supports for said curtain andto restrain it from billowing inwardly into said bathtub.

V References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/ 1937 Ridell 4149 6/1938 Shera a 4149 9/1938 Yardley 4149 2/1939 Ellis 4149 8/ 1940 Piken 4149 2,864,096 12/1958 Garber .4149 3,000,016 9/1961 Ridge 4149 3,034,140 5/1962 Reynolds 4149 3,107,361 10/1963 LAVERNE D. GAEIGER, Primary Examiner. D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner.

Glutting 4149 

